24th Annual Central California Research Symposium Award
Winners

Record Participation at 24th Annual Central California Research
Symposium

FRESNO (APRIL 23, 2003) – A record number of graduate
students participated in the 24th Annual Central California
Research Symposium, held April 17 at the University Business Center
on the campus of California State University, Fresno. Hosted by the
Grants and Research Office at California State University, Fresno,
the Symposium serves to bring together investigators, students, and
faculty from a variety of disciplines to share the results of their
scholarly work. Co-sponsors of the event include the University of
California, San Francisco (UCSF) Fresno Medical Education Program,
Valley Children’s Hospital and Alliant University. A total of
53 oral and 39 poster presentations were made at the event, which
began with a keynote address by California State University, Fresno
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. J. Michael
Ortiz. Two students from California State University, Fresno
captured first-place honors for their oral presentations. Holly
Ramage received graduate honors for her project,
“Characterization and Transposon Mutagenesis of Propargyl
Bromide Degraders,” while Kristen Callens was the
undergraduate winner for her presentation, “An Assessment of
the Economic Feasibility of Using Raisins as an Ethanol
Feedstock.” In the poster competition, the two first-place
winners were Kurt Sterling (“Sequence Diversity in the tfdR
Regulatory Gene for the 2,4-D Catabolic Pathway”) and the
group of Bonnie Glosier, Linda Donnelly, and Victoria Gomes
(“Combating Phytophthora Disease in Pepper (Capsicum
Annum)).” A complete list of winners follows. For copies of
the abstracts or any questions, please contact Douglas Carey at
(559) 278-0840.